Good Friday reflections

This afternoon I walked to the Newman Center to participate there in the Living Stations of the Cross and the Reconciliation Service. As usual there was a good turn out and I found the enviorment helpful for reflection, self-examination, prayer.

On the walk home I decided to stop for a haircut and then to buy some Easter cards. As soon as I find the top of my desk, I will write them out.

Five days after the earthquake in L'Aquila, the rescue operations are at an end, and the bodies all recovered. Today, Good Friday, was the day of the funeral. By radio, podcasts and internet I am doing all that I can to continue to follow the news. It shocked me that the only thing that I was able to find on the New York Times was an article about damaged art works. 289 people have died, and the New York Times is concerned about the art works.

This reminds me of the words of Luigi Barzini in reaction to the may British who used to holiday in Italy after World War II. Barzini said that these upper-class visitors were never interested in the people, but only in the monuments. "The only Italians that they care about are the dead ones," observed Barzini, meaning Cicero, Caesar and Virgil. Well, it looks to me like the New York Times is not even interested in the dead Italians.

REUTERS PHOTO 10 April 2009/Giampiero Sposito (ITALY DISASTER)

But today the funeral was celebrated in L'Aquila - a state funeral with President Napolitano, Prime Minister Berlusconi, the armed forces, and presided by the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Numerous bishops concelebrated with our Salesian cardinal in what has to be one of the saddest Good Fridays. I have followed these events as best I could, still struck by the terror and tragedy of this disaster.

So I end this Good Friday afternoon, praying for the victims in L'Aquila, as well as the victims of human wrath in our cities and in the wars that continue to rage… and pray too for those who are trying to rebuild the lives of so many hurting people, again in our cities but especially at L'Aquila and all the surrounding towns.

Loud protests

The news in the city of Roma today (or rather, in these days) has been the loud protests on the part of some professors and some students at the Roman university called La Sapienza (the Wisdom) against Pope Benedict XVI. The rector magnificus of the university invited the pope to come and speak at the university for the beginning of the academic year, which is tomorrow. However, the protests have been loud and angry on the part of a handful who make all sorts of accusations against the Church, against "Joseph Ratzinger" as a person, against… From what I see in the US press, it would sound like all the University is against the visit. This is not true. There are very few, but they are also very vocal. And they seem to mouth the same rhetoric that has been going on for years from the extreme secularist parties who are called "laicist" here in Italy. When I hear their arguments against Papa Ratzinger, I wonder whether they have ever heard anything he has ever said.

Arguments? No let me rephrase that: diatribes. They are crude and vulgar, calling the pope a "scarecrow" and insisting on the supremacy of Reason. Really? Since when does Reason mouth crudities and insults in order to convince?

Since when? Since the French Revolution. The language of the protesters at the Sapienza sounds more like the partisan rage of the 1800s liberal radicals than something we would expect to hear in the 21st Century.

Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, made an announcement yesterday: given the present climate at the Sapienza, the pope has advised the rector magnificus that he will not be coming to the university tomorrow. This is to avoid putting any of the students at risk, said Bertone. However, the pope will send to the rector a copy of the discourse that he has prepared for the occasion.

Cardinal Bertone made the statement yesterday; it hit all the news media today, and has made a big impression, not only in Rome but throughout Italy.

A victory for the Left? A victory for liberty? All this is being said (more like ranted) by those on the extreme anti-clerical end of Italian society. However, other voices are being heard now as well. What will develop? We'll see tomorrow.

For my part, today I finished teaching the final classes in two subjects: Spirituality of Francis de Sales and Themes in Salesian Spirituality. Now I need to correct all the papers before heading back to Berkeley, a week from today.